


america when will we end the human war?

by penrosequartz



Series: pine needles [2]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: BillDip, Character Death, Epilogue, Established Relationship, F/F, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Piano, Singing, mabifica
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 18:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13463736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penrosequartz/pseuds/penrosequartz
Summary: When will you look at yourself through the grave? - Allen Ginsberg, "America."A death in the family brings the story to a (final) close.





	america when will we end the human war?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [oregon humbling allegory](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10048559) by [penrosequartz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/penrosequartz/pseuds/penrosequartz). 



> okay i've been wanting to write this for AGES but i've finally gotten around to it. this is an epilogue to "oregon humbling allegory," a fic i wrote for gravity falls a while ago. this probably makes sense without reading it (but you should totally read it).

Bill sat at the piano.

The light was dim, the sun setting, but no one flicked a switch to brighten the room.

And it was quiet.

Stanley Pines passed away on the 23rd of June. He died in his sleep. He had been suffering heart complications-

It didn’t matter. He was gone. Dipper didn’t feel as… sad as he expected. It was like a knot in his stomach had loosened and had been replaced by one in his throat. No more grumpy uncle. No more “her aim is getting better.” It wasn’t a relief, no - Dipper was just glad he didn’t have to be on the edge of his seat any longer. Stan had been in and out of the hospital for over a year. He and Bill had been off and on for over a year.

Though, whenever they were “off,” all Dipper could think about was Bill, so. Pretty much always “on.” Why is that people always want what they don’t have, and then when they’ve got it, they don’t want it anymore?

Mabel’s knuckles were white around Pacifica’s fingers. The two girls sat curled together in an armchair, and as the room darkened, darker, darker, grey in the gloom (they should have lit the fire), Mabel’s hand slowly relaxed. Pacifica stood and signalled that she was leaving. Dipper nodded, slid his arm under his sleeping twin’s head, under her knees, and carried her up to her (their?) room. He heard whispers from down below, a goodbye, and the clunk of the door as Pacifica left.

Dipper pressed a kiss to Mabel’s forehead.

“It’ll all be okay.”

 

* * *

 

“Everything alright?” Bill asked quietly, still sitting at the piano, but facing the keys now, studying them. He had brilliant hearing.

“As alright as it’s expected to be,” Dipper sighed, sitting on the couch, “Should I light the-”

A snap of Bill’s fingers, and the fireplace crackled to life, yellow and orange flames lighting the room.

“Jesus, don’t _do_ that!” Dipper said, still twitchy about Bill’s spontaneous outbursts of magic. Sometimes it was easy for him to use, sometimes it wasn’t. It was “complex,” apparently.

“Sorry. It’s itching to get out,” Bill explained, swinging his legs around to face Dipper.

“Right,” the brunet rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Bill’s red and blue coloured eyes glinted in the firelight - Dipper was still sometimes taken aback by how attractive he was.

 _‘Unfair, he made that face himself,’_ Dipper internally complained, before frowning, _‘Or did he? I can never remember.’_

Not that it really mattered. Dipper knew that Bill wanted them to be always “on,” too. Maybe Dipper just had commitment issues. But he really did want Bill to just stay with him, all the time, for the rest of Dipper’s life. Ugh, why did everything have to be so confusing?

After Dipper died, well. Was Bill immortal? Who knew? Certainly not the guy himself.

“Stop thinking,” Bill huffed, sensing Dipper’s monologuing, the crease in his forehead.

“Sorry,” Dipper bit his lip.

Bill gave him a small smile, before facing the piano again. His hands stretched out to the keys, he hesitated - then he pressed them down, making a sweet-sounding chord.

“So, you play?” Dipper asked.

Bill paused.

“Yeah.”

Dipper waited to see if he would elaborate - where had he picked it up? Who taught a demon to play piano, and why? What-

“I used to play for Stan, sometimes.”

Well, that was not what Dipper had been expecting. He didn’t know Stan liked piano - though, it would explain why he had one in The Shack. Dipper was mentally facepalming. Of course Stan liked piano.

And then Bill’s hands moved over the keys, and Dipper forgot what he was supposed to be thinking about. Whatever he was playing was jazzy, soft, something Dipper had heard before…

Bill began to sing.

_“Slow down, you crazy child, you’re so ambitious for a juvenile, but then if you’re so smart, tell me why are you still so afraid?”_

Dipper exhaled. Billy Joel, why was he not surprised? He waited, enjoying the smooth sound of Bill’s voice. Clearly, the song lyrics were directed at Dipper - or, maybe, he was just overreacting? Why did everything have to be so damn hard?

_“Slow down you crazy child, and take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while. It’s alright, you can afford to lose a day or two - when will you realise Vienna waits for you?”_

The piano trailed off, and Dipper applauded a little.

“Can you actually read my mind?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as Bill faced him again.

“Maybe,” Bill grinned.

“Liar,” Dipper groaned, “I can’t believe you. Billy Joel? Innocent man, my ass.”

Bill cocked his head to one side, seeming confused, but he said nothing.

“He sung ‘An Innocent Man,’ which _you,”_ Dipper jabbed a finger towards Bill half-heartedly, “Are _not.”_

“Maybe not,” Bill conceded, “But I’m hot.”

“Nope,” Dipper shook his head playfully.

Bill stood, took a few steps closer, and came to a stop right in front of Dipper.

“How about now?”

“Definitely not,” Dipper smirked - he loved winding Bill up, to be honest. But Bill didn’t look irritated at the moment. He looked… like he was enjoying himself. Dipper didn’t see that enough.

Bill leant down, sat himself on top of Dipper’s lap, thighs trapping Dipper’s legs.

“And…” Bill’s hands brushed Dipper’s sides, warm breath sliding over Dipper’s skin, “Now?”

Dipper looked into Bill’s eyes, the world going hazy.

“Maybe a little.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i know i said it was the end when i finished oha but this is actually The End. (probably).  
> have a nice life. i hope to see you again in the future! leave a comment if you want to feed my soul.


End file.
